Current battery technology for hybrid and electric vehicles has its limitations. Despite this, the global market for these electrified vehicles is expected to grow rapidly, topping $2 billion by 2015.
The PolyZion project, a program that focuses on ionic liquids, rechargeable zinc electrodes, ultra-fast pulse charge injection techniques and conductive polymers, is attempting to develop zinc-polymer batteries for hybrid and electric vehicle applications. According to PolyZion, zinc-polymer battery technology will be cost effective, have a low environmental impact and offer the energy and power density needed to compete with other types of battery technologies. PolyZion recently received €2.4 million ($3.4 million U.S. at the current exchange rate) in funds under the Energy Theme of the European Union's Seventh Framework Program.

PolyZion is a European-led consortium that combines world-class ionic liquid research organizations and members of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers with massive industrial corporations, battery manufacturers and testing organizations. The consortium consists of partners from Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada and Russia.

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Meanwhile I will keep working on my project to make cars run on water. Maybe I can get my mother to loan me a few bucks to fund my research. What that has in common with the PolyZion project is that's it's only interesting and worth blogging about if it actually results in a working prototype with real market potential.

"Ionic liquids"? Hard to find any type of battery that doesn't use some form of ionic liquid, though some contain that liquid in a paste or gel form to prevent leakage problems. The one problem with rechargeable zinc batteries has been the formation of zinc "dendrites", metallic growths that short out the battery after a few recharge cycles. They may be planning on using a polymer membrane to block the growth of those dendrites, to make a durable and reliable battery that is inexpensive and has reasonable energy density. A zinc/air version, if possible, would exceed the energy density of current LiIon batteries.